Valentine had some fun during a visit to the African Caribbean American Center in Fort Myers Feb. 29.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

On the same day, Valentine shared some laughs with David Ortiz during a workout.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

Valentine worked with Mike Aviles during an infield drill in early March. A report later surfaced that the manager and Aviles developed a rift because of a spring incident over an infield drill, but both denied any incident happened.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

On Opening Day in Detroit, optimism still ran high around the Red Sox as Valentine shook hands with Tigers manager Jim Leyland.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

By the end of the opening weekend, Valentine was looking for answers after the Red Sox had been swept in three games in Detroit.

Duane Burleson/AP
| October 4, 2012

[photo-headine]

There were some smiles back at home for Valentine and catcher Kelly Shoppach, as the Red Sox won the home opener, 12-2, against Tampa.

Barry Chin/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

But on April 16, Valentine faced his first public controversy over critical remarks he made about Kevin Youkilis.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

Youkilis did not play on the day after Valentine's remarks, and sat at the opposite end of the dugout from the manager during that day's loss to Tampa.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

Valentine had to make many slow trips to the mound to make pitching changes. On this one, on April 17, he lifted Jon Lester from an 18-3 loss to Texas.

Elsa/Getty Images
| October 4, 2012

Valentine appeared to take a bite out of the ball when he made a pitching change during a loss to Texas April 18.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

In perhaps the Red Sox' worst game of the year, Valentine used six relievers who gave up 14 runs over 3 innings in a 15-9 loss to the Yankees April 21.

Barry Chin/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

Valentine was left looking for answers during this 4-3 loss in Kansas City May 9.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images
| October 4, 2012

On May 25, Valentine had to help settle down his club after a benches-clearing incident against Tampa.

Charles Krupa/AP
| October 4, 2012

Valentine met with general manager Ben Cherington before a 9-6 loss to the Blue Jays June 25.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

Valentine watched as the Red Sox lost the second game of a three-game sweep by Oakland July 3.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
| October 4, 2012

Back at home July 18, there was more to celebrate with Cody Ross after defeating the White Sox, 10-1.

Michael Dwyer/AP
| October 4, 2012

Valentine saw little that he liked in a 9-1 loss at Texas July 23, part of a string of six losses in seven games.

Rick Yeatts/Getty Images
| October 4, 2012

Media scrutiny was intense all year for Valentine, including in this pregame news conference July 31, as the trade deadline passed.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

Valentine allowed the Globe to profile him Aug. 4, when he spent part of a very busy day bicycling from Wellesley to Wrentham in the Pan-Mass Challenge.

Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

He caught a few moments of rest in his Fenway Park office before the Aug. 4 game against Minnesota.

Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

The Aug. 4 game turned into one of the toughest setbacks of the year. Valentine watched as his bullpen allowed four runs in the ninth to the Twins in a 6-4 loss.

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
| October 4, 2012

Two days later, Valentine watched batting practice, with his team sitting just a half-game out of last place.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

For a change, the media scrutiny wasn't focused solely on Valentine, as he walked past a scrum of reporters interviewing Cherington Aug. 6.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff
| October 4, 2012

The focus was back on Valentine in Baltimore Aug. 14, when a report emerged claiming that players had gone to ownership seeking to have him fired. The Red Sox denied the story.

Nick Wass/AP
| October 4, 2012

Valentine chatted with Adrian Gonzalez in the Fenway Park dugout Aug. 24, a day before the Red Sox finalized a trade sending Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto to the Dodgers.

Jim Rogash/Getty Images
| October 4, 2012

In early September, Sports Illustrated shined a light on the Red Sox' problems with a front-page photo of Valentine.

Sports Illustrated
| October 4, 2012

On Sept. 5, hours after a testy exchange in a Boston radio interview, Valentine watched the Red Sox finish one of their worst road trips ever — 1-8 — with a loss in Seattle.

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
| October 4, 2012

Valentine removed Clay Buchholz from the game after he allowed a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth inning of a 4-3 loss to Toronto Sept. 9.

Winslow Townson/AP
| October 4, 2012

With his team having lost six of the previous seven games, Valentine looked on early in what would become an 8-5 win in Toronto Sept. 14.

Mike Cassese/REUTERS
| October 4, 2012

With his team out of contention, Valentine could only envy the pregame celebration of the Red Sox' 2004 World Series champions Sept. 25.

Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
| October 4, 2012

Valentine's final act with the Red Sox came in Yankee Stadium Oct. 3. The Red Sox lost the finale, 14-2 — their 12th loss in the season's final 13 games.